Lace and Embroidery.-These are very important collections, to which some additions have been made during the year, and which should be greatly increased. I hope soon to have more cases put up that the lace may be better shown, and it will be well to spend money liberally in order to get more really good specimens. It is unfortunate that the lighting of this room is not so good as it should be.

Paris Exhibition Specimens. Some interesting objects were obtained from the Paris Exhibition; these consist generally of specimens of glass, china, and pottery, to show the modern styles as adopted on the Continent at such manufacturing centres as Paris, Limoges, Vienna, Buda Pesth, and Stockholm. They are very instructive, as showing the naturalistic treatment of foliage and flowers, the use of the figure for decorative purposes, and the remarkable tendency to flowing curves, which distinguish the styles of decorative art now in vogue on the Continent, and showing also the strong influence exercised by the Schools. of Art of the United Kingdom. They are at present arranged as a special exhibit in the gallery of the Museum, and comprise two specimens of modern French furniture, a silver plate, by Christofle; some pewter, by Brateau; bronze, by Lerché; door furniture, after designs by Erikson and Carpenter; porcelain, including Italian modern majolica,, by Castellani; Swedish porcelain and glass, including a vase of novel manufacture from the Kosta factory; Bustrion Iridescent glass, by Leotz, including some very fine blue colour glass decorated with painting and gilding, by Lobmeyr; and Hungarian pottery in a new style, with a metallic lustre, from the Zsolnay Factory.

The most important object, however, acquired from the Exhibition is the reproduction in terra-cotta, by the Signa Factory, of the Cantoria or Singing Gallery, by Donatello already mentioned. This is a magnificent work; the mosaics are reproduced, and the whole coloured like the original. Several portions were unfortunately broken in transport, so that it will be some time before this model can be erected in the Central Court.

Russian Peasant Industries.-A number of small objects were also purchased to illustrate the Russian peasant industries, as exhibited in the model Russian cottage, near the Trocadero. These are interesting, as they show the traditional crafts of the industrious Russian peasants, who make so many useful articles for their own cottages, and also toys and ornaments for sale. Some of the objects show what has been accomplished in centres where classes have been provided to instruct peasants (and it will be noticed that several of these products are of less artistic interest than those made by the untaught persons); and there are also more elaborately worked articles made in districts where special workshops have been established by landowners to improve the condition of the people.

Addresses to Queen Victoria.-During the last six weeks of the year 1900 there were exhibited the addresses which were presented to Queen Victoria on Her Majesty's visit to Ireland last spring, and which Her Majesty graciously sent to us for exhibition to the public; many of these were illuminated, and some of them were enclosed in gold or silver caskets, which were exhibited with them.

Ethnographical Collections.-One case has been completely rearranged by Mr. Buckley on a system which I have introduced, and which will, I believe, utilise to the utmost the objects exhibited. The principle is that these objects are divided into eight classes, and a large

and the objects in each class are distinguished in the case by the corresponding letters on conspicuous labels, which are placed at each end of the group of objects. By this means the visitor can at once pick out any particular class of objects. For instance, on looking at the objects between the tickets marked A-A., he will find the implements for making fire used by the nation whose productions are shown in the case, and when the whole of the cases have been thus arranged-by looking at the divisions marked A-A. in each of the cases the visitor will be able to see the various methods employed for making fire by all the different primitive races represented in the Museum, and so on for each other class of implements.

The work of arranging the collections in regular series, and fixing explanatory labels, so that the public may obtain from them the greatest possible amount of information, has, as usual, kept Mr. Longfield and his assistants hard at work during the year.

IRISH ANTIQUITIES.

A great deal of work has been carried on during the year by Mr. Coffey both in the Bronze Age Room, No. III., and the Christian Art Room, No. IV., though an immense deal remains to be done in both of these before there will be anything like a complete arrangement. In the latter room four cases of a new design have been provided, and these enable some of the finest objects in the collection, such as the Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Chalice, the Shrines and the Croziers, to be much better seen than was the case formerly, as the visitor is able to get very much closer to them. Many interesting specimens have been added to the collections during the year. As Mr. Coffey points out in his report, the question of procuring casts of inscribed stones and sculpture in Ireland is of great importance, and as I mentioned in my last year's report, it will be a very serious loss if the remains of Irish Romanesque Architecture scattered throughout the country are not modelled before they are still further damaged by time and weather, for if this is not done before many years have elapsed, many relics of this very interesting and beautiful variety of the Romanesque will be entirely lost to posterity.

ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS.

The re-arrangement of cases on the Upper Gallery to take the lower forms of animal life has been completed and is very satisfactory; the reconstruction of the Bird cases on the Lower Gallery has been continued, and should be completed before the end of the coming

financial year; and the next want is the provision of one or two more large cases for Mammals on the Upper Floor. I propose to make better arrangement of shelves in the cases for Irish Birds on the Ground Floor, and hope that, by exhibiting more specimens in each case, we may dispense with one row of cases altogether, and thus diminish the overcrowding which exist at present.

Several interesting additions were made to these collections during the year, but by far the most important was Mr. Ussher's collection of Irish Birds' Eggs, contained among which are many which have now become rare and practically unobtainable. For the purpose of showing the wide range of variation in clutches such as those of the peregrine falcon, the guillemot, and others, Mr. Ussher's collection is unequalled and invaluable. Much greater progress could be made with the arrange. ment and exhibition of the large numbers of new specimens obtained if an addition were made to the permanent staff. I think that the public interest in the Natural History collections is certainly increasing, and that larger numbers of boys and girls pay careful attention to them, and I believe that this alone would sufficiently justify us for having adopted the plan of making a separate collection of the Irish Fauna, which, very properly, is the part most interesting to young naturalists, as it leads them to note and take an intelligent interest in the animal life of our own country.

A "Shakespeare Case" has been placed in the lobby at the top of the stairs, containing specimens of the birds which were used in hawking, with label giving allusions to them in Shakespeare's Plays. It is hoped that this will be a further means of awakening greater interest in Natural History.

The collections showing the life-history and methods of destruction of various "Injurious Insects" are fairly complete, and I hope that these collections do much towards awakening in the minds of many persons an intelligent interest in some phases of animal life, which obviously and directly influence the success of agricultural operations; but I think that this exhibition in the Museum does not diminish the desirability of also circulating to schools throughout the country similar exhibits as well as collections to illustrate simple mechanical and artistic processes, as I suggested about a year ago.

BOTANICAL COLLECTIONS.

Professor Johnson, with the help of temporary assistants, has made great progress in the mounting and arranging of specimens in the Herbarium, especially of the large De Tabley Collection given by Lady Leighton, and also in arranging the economic botanical specimens or products of various countries which are useful in manufactures. The Botanical Department is very much crowded. It is now fairly provided with cases, but I am altering the old desk cases by doubling them up so that they slope up to the centre in a triangular form, thus considerably reducing the floor space occupied without reducing the show space.

Much of Professor Johnson's time has been very usefully occupied by the Department in enquiries connected with the flax, osier, tobacco, and other industries, and in studying the diseases of potatoes and other crops, as well as in carrying out the seed-testing which the Department has inaugurated at the Museum. As regards the tobacco, Professor Johnson was sent to the North of France to inspect the methods of

cultivation there followed, and to obtain the services of a special expert in tobacco growing, who has since then been carrying on investigations and giving advice to growers under his directions. I have made special reports as to the need for permanent assistants in this department of the Museum, instead of the temporary assistants on which the Keeper has to depend at the present, and this has also been recommended by the Board of Visitors.

GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL COLLECTIONS.

Professor Cole's principal work during the year has been the arrangement of the Irish minerals, to the number of which he has added very considerably. In the new wall-cases provided for them these now make a very fine exhibit, and with the collection of Irish ornamental and building stones, they show very fairly some of the great natural resources of this country. Whenever the temporary annexe sheds are rebuilt, it will be a matter of importance to provide properly for this branch of the Museum, as well as for the very fine fossil collections which are in them at present.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE.

As the Committee on the future requirements of the College has been sitting, very little has been asked for or executed in the way of improvements to the present building; but some slight alterations have been made to provide in the Physics laboratory temporary accommodation for the greatly increased numbers brought in by the Schemes for taking agricultural and other teachers. A noticeable fact during the past year was the unsatisfactory result of the examination of the fourteen students entered for the first year. Three of these were Royal Exhibitioners, one of whom left the College during the Session; the other two passing the Examination with credit, and one of them obtaining the Medal; but of the eleven remaining students who paid fees, only one passed the Examination fairly well, and took a Scholarship. Two others were permitted to pass a supplementaling examination in Mathematics, three left the College during the Session, and five failed to pass the Examination, and the results were so unsatisfactory that the second Scholarship was not awarded, This is only one more proof of what I have so frequently reported-namely, the unsatisfactory previous training of most of the students who come to the College.

Summer courses for teachers were again held in July, as in the previous year. They were well attended, and nearly all the students made the most of the opportunities afforded them; but it is evident that, as was found to be the case at the South Kensington College, these courses should be arranged to teach improved methods of instruction to those who already have a moderate acquaintance with the sciences taken up, for in the short space of three weeks or four weeks it is manifestly impossible to teach sufficient of any science to qualify as a teacher one who knows nothing of it to begin with. For such persons the courses for teachers now admitted with exhibitions, under the arrangements of the Department, are much more useful, and should in a few years provide throughout the country a nucleus of thoroughly equipped teachers in three or four of the sciences most needed.

These arrangements could not be made till after the close of the Session, but they give to a certain number of teachers courses of Physics or Chemistry to extend over one or three Sessions, the latter being very nearly the usual Associate courses. On the completion of the Session now in progress we shall be in a better position to judge of the results of this new departure. These teachers in training receive free tuition, and a maintenance allowance as granted to Royal Exhibitioners.

Arrangements have also been made for the students of the Royal Veterinary College of Ireland to join the College classes in Chemistry, Zoology, and Botany.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND.

I reported last year that the new room on the first floor of the unfinished wing had been completed, but could not be used until the attendants' tea and cloak rooms should be removed from the passage which leads to it. During the past year nothing has been done, and the room is still closed and useless.

The number of readers during the year 1900 was 148,405, and it may be interesting to note that the numbers for the British Museum Library for the year 1899 was 188,554, and for the National Art Library at South Kensington for the year 1899, 23,908. I think this shows what a very important function the National Library fulfils, and as has been pointed out by the Council of Trustees, and by me, the staff of this Library is far below that of the other great libraries with which we can compare it.

METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF ART.

The School was attended during the Session 1899-1900 by 483 students, of whom 180 attended the day classes, and 303 the evening classes. In connection with this it may be interesting to note that the number of students at the Royal College of Art, South Kensington, for the Session 1899-1900 was 440. Fifteen students of the School obtained free scholarships by the works they sent up for Art ClassTeacher's certificates, or by their success in the National Competition. I remarked last year that as so many of the more advanced students had left the School at one time it was no matter for surprise that no silver medals were won that Session, but this year a silver medal has been again obtained by Mr. William Whelan for an interesting series of drawings of chairs in different styles, and of all periods, and seven bronze medals have been obtained by Miss L. Deane, design for lace; Miss Beatrice M. Elvery, modelled design for tobacco jar; Miss Louisa Evans, model from the cast; Miss Anna L. Jones, design for a portiere; Mr. John M'Dermott, ornament modelled from the cast; Mr. Thomas Mathers, figure modelled from the antique; Miss Emily Scott, flowers painted from nature.

Miss Beatrice M. Elvery, for her work at the examination in drawing from the life, was awarded a Queen's Prize.

For the selection from the students' work sent to the Paris Exhibition by the Department of Science and Art, a silver medal was awarded by the International Jury; at the Women's Exhibition held at Earl's Court last summer, at which all Schools of Art in the United Kingdom were invited to compete, three, out of the six prizes offered for designs